Willi Castro wasn’t mad when the Detroit Tigers removed him from the shortstop position early in the 2021 season. As his development continued, he actually took a liking to his new role, featuring a multitude of responsibilities.
The 25-year-old sees himself as a more valuable player.
“I really feel comfortable in every position that I played this year,” Castro said at the end of September. “Hopefully, next year, I come more prepared and make adjustments like this year compared to last year. I got to come better next year.”
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Castro took a small step forward at the plate in 2022, his biggest goal after a 2021 season that featured a .220 batting average and a 71 wRC+. That followed a 2020 season in which he tied for fourth place in American League Rookie of the Year voting, so he just wanted to get back on track as a big-leaguer in 2022.
He hit .241 with eight home runs, 15 walks and 82 strikeouts over 112 games, posting an 86 wRC+ (ranking fifth among nine Tigers with at least 350 plate appearances). His strikeout rate shifted from 24.2% to 20.9%, which he credits to a deeper understanding of how pitchers try to attack him.
His walk rate, at 3.8% in 2022 and 4.7% in his four-year MLB career, is his weakness, but he isn’t being asked to produce to the standards of an everyday shortstop anymore. Rather, the Tigers envision him as a legitimate utility player.
“It opens more doors for playing time,” Castro said of changing roles. “I really enjoy playing the utility stuff, playing everywhere. It’s really fun. I just got to keep learning. Wherever they’re going to put me, I’ll be there and give my 100% every day.”
The big question is whether or not the Tigers tender him a contract in his first year of salary arbitration. He is projected to receive $1.7 million, per MLB Trade Rumors.
Castro played 40 games (36 starts) in right field, 27 games (23 starts) in left, 16 games (14 starts) in center field, 16 games (seven starts) at shortstop, 16 games (11 starts) at second base and six games (three starts) at third.
His arm strength and accuracy as an outfielder are strong defensive attributes. He made six outfield assists and was worth plus-4 defensive runs saved in the outfield but plus-2 defensive runs saved total.
“I’m going to keep doing what I did last offseason,” Castro said. “I took my infield work and went back to the outfield. I’ll never back off on my infield agility. I’m going to keep doing that. For the outfield, doing those workouts in the infield helps me more going back out there.”
But will Castro be on the roster when the offseason ends? New president of baseball operations Scott Harris revealed he plans to target position players with above-average walk rates, which doesn’t favor Castro. Still, he has been a big development project for Hinch over the past couple years and could be an above-average utility player if there’s untapped potential on offense.
He also has one minor-league option remaining.
How the Tigers handle Castro’s case, as well as others due for arbitration, should reveal a lot about Harris’ path forward. Harold Castro and Victor Reyes struggle to draw walks and are at risk of being non-tendered, too. All three probably won’t return, but Willi Castro is the youngest and most versatile defensively.
The Tigers are certainly assessing the roster as October rolls on and the official start of the offseason — which includes the tender deadline after Thanksgiving — approaches in November.
“I haven’t thought a lot about it,” Hinch said Sept. 30, when asked about Castro’s season as a whole. “I think Willi is a valuable player who has continued to take steps forward, but I’m going to need to look into that a little bit before I totally assess his year.”